Ak 5
Encyclopedia
The Ak 5 is the Swedish
version of the FN FNC
assault rifle
with certain modifications, mostly to adapt the weapon to the Swedish climate. The Ak 5 is the service rifle
of the Swedish Armed Forces
. Ak 5 is an abbreviation of automatkarbin 5 (literal translation "automatic carbine 5", "automatic carbine" being a Swedish term for assault rifle). The Ak 5 replaced the Ak 4 (licensed G3
copy) in Swedish service.
A modified version of the Colt
M203 grenade launcher
can also be attached to the Ak 5. This setup is simply designated Ak 5 med granattillsats (literal translation "Ak 5 with grenade [launcher] attachment").
L9A1 tritium sight
, a cheek pad on the buttstock, and removal of the iron sights. This weapon is typically carried by squad leaders.
Weight
rail system on to which a wealth of different optics, lights and sights can be mounted, such as telescopic sight
s and image intensifiers
. For a comprehensive list of other improvements, see below.
Before the Ak 5C went into mass production
it was to be thoroughly evaluated. This was done by letting certain units try an experimental model called the Ak 5CF where F stands for the Swedish word försök (meaning, in this context, experiment/trial). These tests were completed in June 2005 and four months later, FMV
signed a contract with Saab Bofors Dynamics
covering the modification of nearly 40,000 assault rifles, which will take the company approximately 4 years to implement. Serial deliveries are scheduled to begin in June 2006 and will first be issued to prioritized units which are stationed in Afghanistan (ISAF
), Chad (EUFOR Chad/CAR), and Kosovo (KFOR). The Ak5C is now the standard issued rifle throughout the Swedish armed forces. The A and B version are currently discontinued.
New features of the Ak 5C compared to the original Ak 5:
Contrary to popular belief, the Ak 5 mounted with the Colt
M203 grenade launcher
is not called the Ak 5C.
The Ak 5D has a shortened barrel
and handguard
. It also features the MIL-STD-1913 rail system for easy mounting of a variety of sights.
Due to the smaller dimensions of the carbine, the Ak 5D is especially suited for ranger/urban warfare
units and vehicle crews who often benefit from a more lightweight & compact weapon when taking into account the nature of their assignments and the environments in which they often operate. The Swedish police are also equipped with a version of the Ak 5D, see below.
There is also a Ak 5D Mk2 version available today. It has the same upgrades as the "C" but retains the shorter barrel.
. Unlike the Ak 5D, the police version has fixed sights but is still equipped with the MIL-STD-1913 rail system to allow the use of telescopic sight
s or red dot sight
s. Unlike its military counterparts, except for the AK5C version, the police version also has safety catches on both sides of the weapon.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
version of the FN FNC
FN FNC
The FNC is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale of Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.-Development:...
assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
with certain modifications, mostly to adapt the weapon to the Swedish climate. The Ak 5 is the service rifle
Service rifle
The service rifle of a given army or armed force is that which it issues as standard to its soldiers. In modern forces, this is typically a highly versatile and rugged assault rifle suitable for use in nearly all theatres and environments...
of the Swedish Armed Forces
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
. Ak 5 is an abbreviation of automatkarbin 5 (literal translation "automatic carbine 5", "automatic carbine" being a Swedish term for assault rifle). The Ak 5 replaced the Ak 4 (licensed G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
copy) in Swedish service.
A modified version of the Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
M203 grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
can also be attached to the Ak 5. This setup is simply designated Ak 5 med granattillsats (literal translation "Ak 5 with grenade [launcher] attachment").
FFV Ak5
The first version of the AK5 family is no longer given to soldiers; it is replaced with the AK5C and AK5D. However, it is still in the hands of the Swedish Armed Forces, and can be handed out to soldiers if needed. It uses iron sights, and the Swedish Armed Forces have estimated that the maximum practical distance is 400 meters, but it can be used at longer ranges. This brings it in line with the M16, using the Swedish Armed Forces definition of maximum practical distance.FFV Ak 5B
The Ak 5B is the marksman version of the Ak 5. Modifications include fittings for a 4x SUSATSUSAT
The Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux, or SUSAT, is a 4× telescopic sight with tritium-powered illumination, utilised at dusk or dawn. The full name of the current model is the SUSAT L9A1. The sight is not designed as a sniper sight, but is rather intended to be mounted on a variety of rifles and to...
L9A1 tritium sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
, a cheek pad on the buttstock, and removal of the iron sights. This weapon is typically carried by squad leaders.
Weight
- Without magazine: 4.8 kg
- With full magazine: 5.4 kg
Bofors Ak 5C / Bofors Ak 5CF
The Ak 5C is the modernized version of the original Ak 5 which follows the trend of becoming a more modular weapon. Therefore, one of the most significant improvements is the MIL-STD-1913Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
rail system on to which a wealth of different optics, lights and sights can be mounted, such as telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s and image intensifiers
Image intensifier
An image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low light conditions such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light processes such as fluorescence of materials to X-rays or gamma rays, or for...
. For a comprehensive list of other improvements, see below.
Before the Ak 5C went into mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
it was to be thoroughly evaluated. This was done by letting certain units try an experimental model called the Ak 5CF where F stands for the Swedish word försök (meaning, in this context, experiment/trial). These tests were completed in June 2005 and four months later, FMV
Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration is a Swedish government agency that reports to the Ministry of Defence. The agency is responsible for the supply of materiel to the Swedish defence organisation. It is located in Stockholm.-External links:* - Official site...
signed a contract with Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Bofors Dynamics, located in Karlskoga and Linköping, Sweden, is a subsidiary of Saab AB that specializes in military materiel such as missile systems and anti-tank systems....
covering the modification of nearly 40,000 assault rifles, which will take the company approximately 4 years to implement. Serial deliveries are scheduled to begin in June 2006 and will first be issued to prioritized units which are stationed in Afghanistan (ISAF
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
), Chad (EUFOR Chad/CAR), and Kosovo (KFOR). The Ak5C is now the standard issued rifle throughout the Swedish armed forces. The A and B version are currently discontinued.
New features of the Ak 5C compared to the original Ak 5:
- Adjustable buttstockStock (firearm)A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
- Foldable emergency iron sights (for ranges up to 300 m)
- Automatic bolt catch
- Transparent plastic magazinesMagazine (firearm)A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
- MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny railPicatinny railThe Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
system - New pistol grip (similar to the one on Ksp 90FN MinimiThe Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
) - Modified hand guard
- Forward vertical grip (detachable)
- New flash suppressorFlash suppressorA flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle of a rifle or other gun that reduces the visible signature of the burning gases that exit the muzzle. This reduces the chances that the shooter will be blinded in dark...
- BayonetBayonetA bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
lug - Tactical sling (nylon)
Contrary to popular belief, the Ak 5 mounted with the Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
M203 grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
is not called the Ak 5C.
Bofors Ak 5D
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
and handguard
Forearm (firearm component)
In firearms, the forearm is a section of the weapon between the receiver and the muzzle. It is used to hold the firearm steady and is usually made out of wood or composite material...
. It also features the MIL-STD-1913 rail system for easy mounting of a variety of sights.
Due to the smaller dimensions of the carbine, the Ak 5D is especially suited for ranger/urban warfare
Urban warfare
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat is very different from combat in the open at both the operational and tactical level...
units and vehicle crews who often benefit from a more lightweight & compact weapon when taking into account the nature of their assignments and the environments in which they often operate. The Swedish police are also equipped with a version of the Ak 5D, see below.
There is also a Ak 5D Mk2 version available today. It has the same upgrades as the "C" but retains the shorter barrel.
CGA5C2
The CGA5C2 (Carl Gustav Automatic Carbine 5 C2) was a prototype model during the development of the replacements/modifications to the original Ak 5 described in this article.CGA5P
The Swedish police are equipped with a special version of the Ak 5D called CGA5P or sometimes, incorrectly named, Ak 5DP. Essentially it is a black Ak 5D (instead of the regular military green) with automatic fire capability disabled by a hex screwHex key
A hex key, Allen key, or Allen wrench is a tool of hexagonal cross-section used to drive bolts and screws that have a hexagonal socket in the head .- Nomenclature :...
. Unlike the Ak 5D, the police version has fixed sights but is still equipped with the MIL-STD-1913 rail system to allow the use of telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s or red dot sight
Red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non-magnifying reflector sight for firearms that gives the user an aimpoint in the form of an illuminated red dot...
s. Unlike its military counterparts, except for the AK5C version, the police version also has safety catches on both sides of the weapon.